Lonnie King was born in Arlington, Georgia. He was raised in Atlanta and served in the U.S. Navy. He left the Navy in 1957, returned to Atlanta, and earned his degree from Morehouse College. In 1960 he was present at the founding of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee at Shaw University. On March 9, 1960, King and SNCC published An Appeal for Human Rights as an advertisement in various Atlanta newspapers. A critical document of the Civil Rights Movement, the Appeal called for complete racial desegregation by peaceful and nonviolent means. King discusses his childhood in the deep south, his work with SNCC and SCLC, and his friendship with Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reflections on Georgia Politics began in the fall of 2006 at Young Harris College, as a lecture and discussion program hosted by Georgia political veteran Bob Short. In late 2007, the Richard B. Russell Library began producing the program as an oral history video series to further illuminate and personalize the tectonic shifts that occurred in Georgia politics in the late twentieth century.

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Lonnie King was born in Arlington, Georgia. He was raised in Atlanta and served in the U.S. Navy. He left the Navy in 1957, returned to Atlanta, and earned his degree from Morehouse College. In 1960 he was present at the founding of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) at Shaw University. On March 9, 1960, King and SNCC published An Appeal for Human Rights as an advertisement in various Atlanta newspapers. A critical document of the Civil Rights Movement, the Appeal called for complete racial desegregation by peaceful and nonviolent means. King has taught at Georgia State University.

Lonnie King discusses growing up in Arlington, Georgia. He recalls experiencing racism from a young age and his parents' secret participation in NAACP activities. King reflects on his time in the Navy and the racism he experienced there.

King recalls his friendship with Julian Bond and participating in the Greensboro sit-ins. He explains how the idea to write "An Appeal for Human Rights" came up and the circumstances surrounding its publication. King discusses the difficulty of recruiting and training nonviolent students.

King reflects on a situation where he and Martin Luther King, Jr. were arrested for protesting at Rich's Department Store. He describes how the Kennedys' involvement in the arrest influenced African American voting nationwide. King also describes several class action lawsuits that were significant to the
Civil Rights Movement.

King discusses the crippled education system in some areas heavily populated by African Americans and explains the importance of programs such as Teach for America. He also recalls the circumstances surrounding Freedom Rides.

King recalls several problems experienced within SNCC and the triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement.